Environment Gameplay Designer

Location: Remote (any location); Boulder, Colorado is listed as the location reference.

Company

hirify.global develops exploration-driven games and interactive worlds.

What you will do

• Design and prototype open-world environments from blockout through gameplay-ready spaces.
• Define large-scale layouts, sightlines, landmarks, traversal routes, choke points, and pacing.
• Build pathing systems, alternate routes, traversal options, and points of interest with clear gameplay purposes.
• Prototype interactive environmental gameplay, including traversal mechanics, destructibles, hazards, puzzles, and systemic interactions.
• Use scripting, visual scripting, or code to validate ideas in-engine through playable builds.
• Present design intent and prototypes to leads and cross-discipline partners, incorporating feedback through iteration.

Requirements

• Portfolio demonstrating large-scale, non-linear environment design combining layout and gameplay.
• Strong understanding of player navigation, visual communication, and guiding players without heavy UI.
• Hands-on experience with Unreal Engine or Unity, including blockout, terrain or landscape tools, and gameplay scripting.
• Proficiency in visual scripting or a scripting language such as C#, C++, Lua, or Python.
• Experience designing points of interest, encounters, or activities within cohesive game worlds.
• Ability to balance creative goals with technical constraints including memory, streaming, draw distance, and content budgets.

Nice to have

• Shipped open-world or large-scale exploration titles.
• Experience with procedural tools such as Houdini, PCG, or other world-building systems.
• Background in systemic or emergent design, technical art, traversal-focused design, analytics, or telemetry.
• Experience with world streaming, World Partition, level-of-detail strategies, game jams, mods, or personal projects.
• Experience mentoring designers or leading small cross-discipline teams.

Culture & Benefits

• Contract position for approximately 30–40 hours per week.
• Initial contract term of 3–6 months, with possible extension or hire depending on project status and work compatibility.
• Iterative, feedback-driven development focused on taking prototypes to polished, playable content.
• Applicants from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet every qualification.
• Transparency about LLM use in cover letters is expected.